Sorry

My name is Carla Sofia Avila, I am 18 years old and I come from Maracaibo, Venezuela. My family consists of my mom, my dad, and my twin sister. Thankfully, I have been lucky enough to have the most supportive and caring family of all, a family who has been there for me through thick and thin no matter what the circumstances may be. I was born with Spina Bifida, which is a ”way of living’’ I like to call it that gives me the opportunity to go around and explore the world in my awesome wheelchair. Since the moment my parents knew what my condition was, which was the day me and my sister were born, they both have done anything and everything to make sure both me and my sister have everything we ever needed, and most importantly they have thought me to be as independent as I can, reminding me that there is not one thing that I can’t do, and that everything is possible if you want it to happen.

When I was 14 years old, my condition started to get worse and worse and before anything bad happened, my parents decided to get me an appointment with supposedly ‘’the best doctor in the country’’ in Caracas, Venezuela. Once I got the appointment, we flew over there and went to see the doctor, and this is when the saddest moment of my life starts to take place. After reviewing my x rays and blood tests, all the doctor had to say to my parents was that my parents had lost their time with me all these years and that there was nothing anyone could possibly do to help me, they could only wait until I died. I could not believe what I was hearing, I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I couldn’t believe that all my dreams and future plans were not going to happen. That doctor made me lose all my hope, but my parents were there for me to make me believe that they were not going to let that happen.

From that moment on, it took my dad around three months to find a foundation that helped me and my family fly to Houston TX and get a 10 hours’ surgery that was the solution to what was happening to me. The moment I woke up after that surgery I felt like God was giving me a new opportunity to make my dreams come true.

My mom, my sister and I spent 6 months in Houston while I was recovering from the surgery and having therapies approximately twice a week. When we came back to our homeland Venezuela, was when my dad decided that for the better future of our family, he wanted to move to the U.S. At first, I was against that idea, I didn’t think I was ready to leave all my friends and family behind, I feared having to start from zero, I was scared that I was not going to accommodate to a new environment, to create new friends, to leave everything I had. But after thinking about it not only once but twice I realized that it was for the best and that it was something that needed to be done. Unfortunately, Venezuela is not a safe place anymore and if we had the chance to leave the country at the moment, we had to take it.

In December 2013, my family and I moved to Miami, FL. I had to start school in the middle of my freshman year. Fortunately, I have met wonderful and caring people along the way that have helped me in any way possible to succeed and make my goals happen. Right now, I am a senior in Everglades High School that is months from graduating and getting her diploma and I have already been accepted into college.

If there is something I want anyone that reads my story to get from it, is to remember that anything is possible and to don’t ever let anyone tear you down. You are more than capable of doing amazing things, and believe me, you will, you just have to first believe in yourself, and then, prove others wrong.